When land is cleared or cultivated, such as by landscape contractors, building contractors, or farmers, stones or rocks come to the surface. In order to clear the land of such articles, stone gathering machines or rock pickers have been developed. These machines or apparatus typically comprise some type of scoop assembly or fixed prong assembly which engages and scoops the ground, and is then pivoted to dump the debris into a receptacle or hopper, or piled at a designated spot, or hauled away. Further, some such machines include a rotary rake, and the prior art machines typically are hydraulically operated for raising and dumping the picker. Such apparatus or machines are disclosed, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,296,818; 3,392,790; and 2,738,633.
The stone picking apparatus of the prior art, however, have several distinct disadvantages. Many such machines are drawn or pulled by a tractor or tractor-type vehicle, which places the operator in front or ahead of the gathering operation. Further, stone gathering machines utilizing a rotary rake and/or hydraulic lift means are unduly complicated.
This invention has, therefore, as its purpose to provide a stone gathering machine which is easily operated or maneuvered, which is simple in construction, and which does not employ or require hydraulic lift means.